Construction of Van Don – Mong Cai Expressway starts

The northern province of Quang Ninh on April 3 held a ceremony to start construction of the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway.

The highway will be constructed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) and public-private partnership (PPP) contract at a total cost of more than VND 11 trillion (USD 474.4 million).

The Quang Ninh People's Committee has signed the contract with the joint venture of Long Van Infrastructure Investment and Development Co., Ltd., Van Don Sun JSC and Cong Thanh Transportation and Construction Corporation.

The 80.2km-long highway will have four lanes, running through the districts of Van Don, Tien Yen, Dam Ha and Hai Ha and Mong Cai city.

Construction is expected to be completed within 22 months. Fees will be collected for 20 years on the road.

Once the road is completed, it will shorten the travel time from Van Don to Mong Cai from two hours to nearly one hour.

Besides, it will connect with the Ha Long - Hai Phong and Ha Long - Van Don highways, creating the longest highway in Vietnam that runs from Lao Cai in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai to Mong Cai via Hanoi and Hai Phong.

The highway will serve as an important transport gateway linking Vietnam and China and countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), helping boost cross-border trade and turn Quang Ninh into a trade and service hub.

The Van Don - Mong Cai highway is also expected to facilitate access to Van Don international airport, which is slated to open in late December.

The Ha Long-Hai Phong Expressway was put into service in September 2018, while the Ha Long - Van Don Expressway became operational in December the same year.